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Irishmak, glad you are delving into book 3. there is alot of great music in it!! i kinda liked the super special song, although not overly thrilled but it wasnt a drag to get through. calypso is also kinda fun, and the fandango i absolutly love!! once you get it up it will all fall into place, just practice it slowly--of course we have all heard that a million times:) the only piece for me to have dragged was the serenade from string quartet, to me it made no sense, and still doesnt. i do like listening to it on strings but not for piano. congrats on entering book 3:)

loly, i had a digital, i sold it:) i have too many instruments in this little apt. as it is, the upright, grand and an organ:) i think the organ is going soon too though as i dont really like it, but will try the serenade on it first with strings and see if i like it:)

edited: oh, i just read you bought the kawai k-8, congrats!!! betcha your not getting much sleep now:) cant wait to see(pictures) and hear it(must have recordings)!!

funburger, I wanted to ask you how you got that many instruments in your apt but I refrained. he he he

if you want to look into a nice digital keyboard, look at the ypg 625, it's the one I have. the voices are outstanding and it has about 5 organ voices that sound so much like the real thing. you get a lot for a small package.

ooooo you evil thing, how did you know I wasn't getting any sleep? I was able to sleep last night though.

_________________________
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear, Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.>>> Herman Munster

Page 18 in this book and I've hit a wall! This Jazz Sequences thing has got me stuck. I just cannot get it right! We slowed it waaaaaaay down at last week's lesson and my teacher said she doesn't want me trying to speed it up at all, but I STILL can't quite get it right. What it is showing quite clearly is how bad my hand independence still is. And this is not even a hard piece! It's dotted quarter-eighths in the right hand against straight quarters in the left. Should be easy, but it's got me quite frustrated. I think I may have to work for a while longer on this one with hands separate before I truly get it.

_________________________
-Mak

1889 Mason & Hamlin screwstringer uprightKawai MP-4 digital

---------------------------When life hands you lemons, throw them back and add some of your own. Stupid life.

#1079246 - 09/02/0710:25 PMRe: Alfred's Basic and ALL in One Adult Piano Course Book #3

dfpolitowski
Full Member
Registered: 02/09/06
Posts: 166
Loc: New Jersey

Are you practicing exercises or only trying to learn from this method series? Playing from the series alone "may" leave your hands weak. I did Hanon 60 exercises along with this series. Though Alfred's trained me how to play, I attribute strength and reaching power to Hanon, hands down. Strength that I believe would not have come from any other means.

I hope your taking your time throughout this searies. I heard someone recommend moving through this series quickly, Like under two years. I suggest the entire series to be learned in between three to four years. And closer to four would be better.

For the record, I'm in my fifth year of lessons - and only halfway thru the Alfred's 3 book. I, too, do Hanon along with the Alfred's, plus some theory books and I keep a solo recital or two book going at the same time. But I'm reallllly slow! Liz :rolleyes:

Oh, I do scales, chords, arpeggios and Hanon, as well as some outside the Alfred's series pieces, along with it. I'm not rushing- my teacher won't let me!! LOL Took me a bit over a year to get thru the 2nd book, and I figure it will be a good year or so in this one, too. Just one of those walls you hit now and then, I suppose.

_________________________
-Mak

1889 Mason & Hamlin screwstringer uprightKawai MP-4 digital

---------------------------When life hands you lemons, throw them back and add some of your own. Stupid life.

You'll get there, then, sounds like you're doing a good mix of things.

I'm at a wall myself right now and it's terribly frustrating to keep going to lessons week after week and seemingly not making any progress, at least anything marked that really shows. I have lots of sympathy for you, but not much advice, I'm afraid, other than to keep plugging away...Liz

#1079250 - 09/03/0701:51 AMRe: Alfred's Basic and ALL in One Adult Piano Course Book #3

dfpolitowski
Full Member
Registered: 02/09/06
Posts: 166
Loc: New Jersey

Look, I don't know what else to say. All I know is that I'm somehow beyond that wall. Can't tell you when I passed through it though. I practiced and still do 2 plus hours a day. So, for me hard practices is necessary. What I've noticed that many people talk about it being acceptable in putting in small amounts of time at the keyboard. Such as a half hour a day or a few days a week. I believe is will generally not bring the solid results need to play well. One hour a day to two hours a day is generally need to make any substantial progress. And this at any age. How much more older people like us. At 39 I new I would have to work like a dog to get anywhere.

I believe some teachers are afraid to ask a lot from their students. Is this cause they are afraid their students will lose heart and quit?

Lizzy1234, just a friendly tip,. . .make sure your not stuck doing the first section of Hanon. After six months of these exercise one has exhausted there usefulness. It then that one must go on to diatonic and the second two sections of Hanon exercise.

Originally posted by IrishMak: Page 18 in this book and I've hit a wall! This Jazz Sequences thing has got me stuck. I just cannot get it right! We slowed it waaaaaaay down at last week's lesson and my teacher said she doesn't want me trying to speed it up at all, but I STILL can't quite get it right. What it is showing quite clearly is how bad my hand independence still is. And this is not even a hard piece! It's dotted quarter-eighths in the right hand against straight quarters in the left. Should be easy, but it's got me quite frustrated. I think I may have to work for a while longer on this one with hands separate before I truly get it. [/b]

#1079252 - 09/24/0710:14 AMRe: Alfred's Basic and ALL in One Adult Piano Course Book #3

dfpolitowski
Full Member
Registered: 02/09/06
Posts: 166
Loc: New Jersey

Guys, I just dug up my old book. And have the piece in front of me. Just looking at it now. I learned, that when a training piece is difficult sometime the piece will use staccato in one hand. This poking, makes one playing of the piece a little easier. I believe it requires less out of the players mussels and nerves.

As to the next two pieces in the book, this is where were real playing begins.

Your going to have a lot of fun with these two pieces. The key to learning these next two are to play hand separate first. Mark, if you want my advice play through the entire piece one hand first. Then the other hand by itself, afterward combine them. Its a short piece.

The following two pieces after them are very beautiful. "A very Special Day" is a great piece to sing along with, if your inclined. It slow too, which lend itself well to adding a third voice, your voice! "Grand Piano Band" is fun, but its faster, and demands much more LH RH coordination. I think i was on this piece for three weeks and never did play it fully correct before I moved to "A very Special Day"

Originally posted by Mark...: Hi, did you every get through that wall?

Mark [/b]

Mark-

Yes, I did, moslty. I'm still going back to now and again to reinforce the technique, but we've moved on in the book. This one is going slower than the last one, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

The unfortunate part is that I am going to be travelling a good bit of the first part of October and then I have to have a bit of surgery done, so after these 2 weeks, I don't know when I will get back to regular lessons. My teacher and I are going to set a plan in these upcoming 2 lessons so that I will have some things to work on in a more structured manner.

_________________________
-Mak

1889 Mason & Hamlin screwstringer uprightKawai MP-4 digital

---------------------------When life hands you lemons, throw them back and add some of your own. Stupid life.

Originally posted by Mark...: Hi, did you every get through that wall?

Mark [/b]

Mark-

Yes, I did, moslty. I'm still going back to now and again to reinforce the technique, but we've moved on in the book. This one is going slower than the last one, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

The unfortunate part is that I am going to be travelling a good bit of the first part of October and then I have to have a bit of surgery done, so after these 2 weeks, I don't know when I will get back to regular lessons. My teacher and I are going to set a plan in these upcoming 2 lessons so that I will have some things to work on in a more structured manner. [/b]

The reason I asked is that since you are ahead of me in Alfred, I like to see how people work through the program. Its nice to know that you can eventually get through the tough spots. I have a while to go before I'm in book 3.

Originally posted by Mark...: The reason I asked is that since you are ahead of me in Alfred, I like to see how people work through the program. Its nice to know that you can eventually get through the tough spots. I have a while to go before I'm in book 3.

Hope everything goes well regarding your surgery and piano layoff...

[/b]

Well, I think with the right attitude and some perseverence and, of course, work, it can all be gotten thru. I suspect I was just frustrated becasue on the surface, that particular piece looked easy. But nothing is really easy if you don't get it, right? And easy is subjective, espeically in this area. What I find easy, you may find impossible and vice versa. That's also one of the things I like about having a teacher- when I get stuck like that, she can usually see and/or hear the real trouble spots (which are sometimes not what I percieve them to be) and can help work thru the real problems, even if it means working on some exercises or scales or whatever outside the actual piece.

As for the layoff, I'm just hoping I don't slide back too much without my regular lessons. But that's why we are going to try to come up with a plan of action!

_________________________
-Mak

1889 Mason & Hamlin screwstringer uprightKawai MP-4 digital

---------------------------When life hands you lemons, throw them back and add some of your own. Stupid life.

I came upon this topic, and am feeling newly motivated to continue with Book 3. I had set it aside because 1) I am no longer taking lessons (my teacher was encouraging me to finish), and 2) I convinced myself that moving into the Piano Handbook would be a better and more interesting way to spend my piano time. Now that I see that there is a community that I might be part of, I will take a fresh look at Book 3. Right now, I don't recall where I was in the book, and I'm having trouble locating it.

Originally posted by saw: I came upon this topic, and am feeling newly motivated to continue with Book 3. I had set it aside because 1) I am no longer taking lessons (my teacher was encouraging me to finish), and 2) I convinced myself that moving into the Piano Handbook would be a better and more interesting way to spend my piano time. Now that I see that there is a community that I might be part of, I will take a fresh look at Book 3. Right now, I don't recall where I was in the book, and I'm having trouble locating it.

Hello everyone! Congratulations on reaching Book 3! It's an incredible accomplishment. I'm still working on Book 2 (very early on in Book 2) but I'm wondering if the selections and theory in Book 3 are "worth" working through the book or if it would be better simply to continue to repertoire selections. Does anyone have an opinion on this?

#1079259 - 09/28/0707:37 PMRe: Alfred's Basic and ALL in One Adult Piano Course Book #3

dfpolitowski
Full Member
Registered: 02/09/06
Posts: 166
Loc: New Jersey

My Opinion is the "stay the course".

The book is well thought out and planned by professionals, how could you do much better? The purpous of the book is to train the student to play music with a little theory on the side. Staying with the program encourages good discipline. That is what is needed in learning to play. My thinking is "that if you trier and quit this series It will only serve to encourage you to quit something else later on if it is not to your liking. or Working out in the moment.This is one secret to which helps me keep going on "the journnee". It is a task oriented mentality. In my case, my minds satisfaction comes equally from striving to finish the task i have committed to. Not whether I learn something or not or even enjoy it. The only down side to making a plan is that you learn as you progress. In the process of learning you may realize what you have committed to is inferior to a newly discovered way, program or whatever. This is when strong temptation comes to quit what you committed to. But we are talking about the "Alfred's adult series" and the series is not too extensive to commit to. It should take the average beginning student, assuming enough practice, about three to four years? maybe. Something like that.

Oh, yes my opinion on the theory is that you leave it alone. Learn your theory elsewhere. From a theory teacher. Someone who does theory, arrangement or composition all the time.

Congratulations! Good work! I really loved hearing that you're writing music and scoring songs. I think composition is so fun, creative, and valuable... there's nothing like hearing something in your head and being able to translate it onto the keyboard and the staff.

Mark,

Yup, Hanon will definitely get you in shape for Book 3! I think they're pretty cool, too. I like repetitive, organized things like that -- they appeal to my sense of order, I guess.

Happy practicing and Happy holidays too!

Kim

_________________________
Find some help for stage fright and share what helps you -- Stage Fright Tips. Let's learn from each other!

#1079267 - 12/17/0707:31 PMRe: Alfred's Basic and ALL in One Adult Piano Course Book #3

dfpolitowski
Full Member
Registered: 02/09/06
Posts: 166
Loc: New Jersey

I was under the impression there was no CD available for that book. I looked, and never saw a book III for sale with a optional CD. I believe the publisher choose not to include a CD with the last book. Regardless, I found I did not need a recording. I believe a recording is helpful chiefly with complex pieces, pieces from which expression plays a major part. Few if any of the practice pieces in this series make a great demands on interpretation skills.

So, I got through book 2, and was ready to start book 3. But, I decided to go back and work through book 2 and pay close attention to the dynamic markings and get each tune up to speed. My goal is to polish tune enough that I wouldn't be shy about playing it for somebody.

There are a couple of songs in book 2 that I just don't like, so I may skip a couple of them. Book 3 is on order, but EST is moved up to April 1. I would love to find a teacher, but so far, my teacher selections have be disappointing. (There is a difference between a good musician and a good piano teacher!)